Book Beat Babes

Saturday, March 4, 2017

It you’ve already downloaded and read the Schedule C (Form 1040)
and related instructions then you know there are quite a few categories for
your writing business expenses. You should also note that some of
those expenses refer to you to additional forms and/or instructions, which
means that not all expenses have the same tax treatment.

Of particular note is the difference between an expense such as
consumable supplies (generally used up or expended in a year) versus items that
last more than a year. This is a very important concept in the tax
code because items that tend to have a long life generally must be depreciated
over that expected life. So, items such as computer systems,
furniture, etc., will typically be depreciated and the tax code has charts and
classifications to help you figure out the useful life of these items. For more information, including the charts,
see IRS Publication 946, How To Depreciate Property.

Where it becomes a little dicey is when you have an item that can
last several years that has a very low cost, such as a stapler or inexpensive
software. What you will need to do in these cases is develop a
written policy stating that such items under a certain dollar amount (typically a very low dollar amount) can be
expensed, but make sure you read the tax code carefully or consult with a
professional to make sure you adhere to any exceptions and stated
requirements. Remember that the tax code,
at both the federal and state levels, is written based on laws passed by the
legislatures at these respective government levels.

Typical consumable expenses that a writer might incur include
paper, toner cartridges, pens, paper clips – you get the idea, don’t you? Typical
items for depreciation include computers, furniture, vehicles (unless you take
the standard mileage rate), printers – again you get the idea.

There is a mechanism for accelerating that depreciation into the
current year or what is referred to as Section 179 but be careful because if
you accelerate depreciation, say on an asset that is considered to have a life
of five years, but then decide to stop your writing business after only three
years, you then have to recoup the depreciation for the two-year difference. Additionally, any property accelerated under
Section 179 must actually qualify as being on the list of eligible property so,
again, read everything very carefully and when in doubt consult a professional.

Friday, February 24, 2017

When most of us strike out to be a successful writer we think
of all things writing such as:

-Traditional vs. Indie publishing

-Do we need an agent

-How to engage readers

-Finishing the Damn Book

-…and more

What we don’t typically thing about are the tax consequences
of that journey to becoming a successful writer.

One of the first things to determine, especially in the beginning,
is whether you are conducting your writing as a hobbyist or a business. If you limit yourself to just writing and don’t
incur any expenses and/or earn any money in your writing journey then the
question is somewhat mute, although, if you are incurring expenses do keep a
written record of them so that you can consider them later, potentially as
startup costs.

To be considered a business, you have to have – and be able to
demonstrate – a serious intent to make a profit. This is detailed in the Form 1040 Schedule C
and related instructions found at the two links below:

If you don’t care whether or not you make any money with
your writing but just happen to, along the way, receive money for your efforts
then you fall into the category of being a hobbyist and the way you reflect
your income and expenses is explained in IRS Publication 529:

So, if you want to know if your writing journey is a
business or a hobby, use the link above to see if you pass or fail the test of
being a hobbyist, and definitely read the Schedule C and related instructions.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

In the last five years, my goals have shifted. I still write, I still pursue my writing career, and if I can scratch enough time together, I may even get a book published this year. But my life is busier than ever. Here are a few reasons why my goals have changed ...

My grandkids!!!
We're at an apple orchard in the above picture. We spent the day playing in a corn crib, on a bouncy trampoline, racing through a straw fort, and we enjoyed yummy apple donuts and cider. I came home exhausted, but had renewed energy to write the next day. Their energy depleted mine, or so I thought. Yet the next day I was eager to be at the computer to work on my WIP. I don't ever want to be remembered as the grandma who didn't have time for her grandkids. My goal to write on my day off is not set in stone anymore.

Our entire family spent the day at Brookfield Zoo, after Christmas. Cold and beautiful. We had never visited the zoo in the winter. What an exhilarating experience. Our four little wild ones kept us moving and seeing more, more and still more.

These two pictures are of my older grandkids! They are tall, beautiful, young women now. They are extremely athletic and play sports year 'round. Sometimes more than one sport in a season. I've learned that bleachers feel pretty much the same whatever sport I'm watching. I try to make as many games as I can. And that's saying something when there are a couple games each week.

I always thought when I got older, I'd have more time to write. I'd have more time to market my books. I thought I would ... I thought I would ... but I've learned in the most beautiful way, that families tend to grow. Growth is a beautiful thing, a busy thing, an exhausting thing. And there is no such animal called spare time. I have no spare time. I actually never did. But I have learned over time, I must grab the time and make it my own if I want to write.

So this is my extent of writing for today. I'm off to pick up my father and take him to a basketball game where my granddaughters are playing. We'll sit on bleachers and cheer on our team. I had hoped to get the last of my editing done today, but that didn't happen.

Monday, December 5, 2016

If you like dogs, you'll most likely relate to my first non-fiction ebook, OUR FUR BABIESAvailable at Amazon, this book relates the experiences my husband and I have shared through adopting our beloved dogs. Complete with pictures, OUR FUR BABIES introduces the reader to each dog my husband and I've loved through our married years, starting with Sadie, the first, next Missy, on to Morgan (from whom I got my pen name), then Rascal, and lastly, our present fur baby, Buster.

The cover picture, from long ago, features our first fur baby, Sadie. We look much younger there, than later, as the book progresses.

You may laugh or shed a tear or two reading this book, or perhaps you'll be inspired to adopt a dog of your own, if you haven't already done so.

And, if you go for fiction, I also have a few other books, in which dogs play a prominent role. Check out FOR THE LOVE OF DOG, about an officer who takes drastic steps to keep his K9 companion.

Another one you might like is the romance, HER HANDYMAN, about how a crazy canine's antics bring a handyman and popular artist together in an unlikely way.

Friday, November 11, 2016

As humans we tend to fall into the trap of whatever is
easiest for us to do as well as what is most familiar, and that includes
technology. But as with all traps,
especially those that invoke complacency, there is a price to pay. In the case
of search engines it could be skewed results that create certain biases or
direct you towards sponsored stories and advertisements with information skewed
towards enticing you to buy a certain product or to not believe someone or
something is as bad as it really might be.

Writers need to take heed when using search engines,
especially if they only use one and never vary the way they structure the
search terms they use. Remember, many of
the creators of these search engines and social media platforms have a profit
motive.

So, what is a writer to do?

Well, I found an interesting article from earlier this year
that provides a list of alternative search engines to the more famous and
mostly commonly used search engine, the name of which is now a verb in the English
language. Nothing wrong with using that
search engine but as with all things in life, knowledge is power and when you
understand who the wizard behind the curtain really is then you can make more
informed choices.

Friday, October 7, 2016

- Technavio research predicts that there will be
approximately a 14% increase in e-book readership by 2020. In fact, their
Global perspective report predicts the following:

“Technavio’s market research
analyst predicts that the global publishing market will surpass USD 357 billion
over the predicted period. Much of the market’s growth is due to the
surging popularity of digital
publishing as it
is relatively cost-effective for authors to get their books published and very
convenient for the readers to read and carry around. Such advantages have
propelled the adoption rate of e-books, where the readers are increasingly contributing to the
market’s revenue through monthly and annual subscriptions. With the increased
penetration of the Internet, readers want to read digital books more than
printed books. Digital content is the future of book
publishing with
its explosion on devices like Kindle, Reader, and iPhone, resulting
in the overall growth of the market in the coming years.”

For more information on this
98-page report go toSome
interesting developments in the world of e-Book readers:

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Looking for something to do this Saturday? Stop by the Oswego Public Library.
32 West Jefferson Street, Oswego, IL 60543
Their annual Literary Festival takes place rain or shine, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Local authors will be in attendance. Bring your checkbook, your credit card or cash!
Support your local author by writing a review on Amazon.com